The Ghana National Fire Service is investigating a suspected power-restoration fault as a possible trigger for a fire that swept through part of the Kumasi Central Market near the Aboabo station.
Ashanti Regional Fire Commander ACFO I Peter Tetteh said preliminary eyewitness accounts indicated that the fire started shortly after electricity returned following a brief outage.
He disclosed this during an inspection of the fire-ravaged area with the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene and Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi.
“From what we heard, eyewitnesses said there was a light out. In three minutes, the light came back on, and that is when they saw the fire,” he said.
The account has not yet been established as the definitive cause of the outbreak, with investigations still ongoing.
Mr Tetteh said traders who had received basic fire safety training attempted to put out the initial flames using portable fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived.
Their efforts, however, were overtaken by the rapid spread of the fire.
He said the first fire appliance from Asokore Mampong arrived at the scene at 8:39 pm, after which crews established containment lines to prevent the flames from spreading to other sections of the market.
A total of five appliances were deployed, comprising four fire tenders and one water tanker.
“We didn’t have a problem with water at all yesterday,” Mr Tetteh said, indicating that water supply was not a constraint during the operation.
Despite the available water supply and police presence, the Fire Commander said congestion and obstructions caused by traders trying to retrieve their belongings made it difficult for crews to manoeuvre around the market.
He said the conditions complicated efforts to access affected areas and contain the blaze.
“There were a lot of obstructions yesterday. Even the police were here, but it was very, very difficult over here,” he said.
Investigations into the precise cause of the fire and assessments of the total financial losses are continuing.
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